Fountain-penholder.



Patented Dot. 28, |902.

c. w. MABIE. FOUNTAIN PENHULDEH.

(Application led Apr. 18, 1902.)

(No Model.)

628)' 14eme@ 1H: mams PETERS. co, PHomLlTr-xu. wnsnwarou, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W'. MABIE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

FOUNTAlN-P'ENHO-LDEFC.v

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 711,988, dated October28, 1902. Application filed April 18, 1902. Serial No. 103,553. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. MABIE, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFountain-Penholders,of which the following is such a full, clear, andexact description as will enable any one skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

One of the difficulties occurring in the use of fountain-pens is that ofthe protecting-cap gradually becoming so expanded byusage that it doesnot flt upon the cap-attaching part at the rear of the holder, Where thecap is placed when the pen is in use, with sufficient tightness to beretained thereon. While the cap has thus become too big for a proper iitwith the rear-end cap-attaching part, it still lits the forwardattaching part over the nozzle with sufficient tightness, so that if thecap be then contracted to make it properly fit the rear end part it willbe too loose for the forward end of the holder. This is a commonexperience in the use of fountain-pens, and it is in fact a seriousdrawback to the same and often discourages the use of the article. Mypresent invention seeks to overcome this drawback; and, briefly stated,it consists in an expansible cap-attaching part or rest at the rear endof the holder with adjustable means for expanding or contracting suchpart in order to compensate for the enlargement of ,the forwardcap-retaining part and the corresponding enlargement of the tubularprotectingcap, whereby the cap may always have as snug a fit with therear end attaching part or rest as with the forward part, all ashereinafter fully set forth, and then pointed out in the claims.

I have illustrated types of my invention in the accompanying drawings,wherein- Figure 1 is a side view of an ordinary fountain-pen providedwith the usual tubular protecting-cap, which is shown in longitudinalsection and having my improvement embodied therein. Fig. 2 is anenlarged view of the expansible cap-attaching part at the rear end ofthe fountain-pen, as shown in Fig. 1, the view being in centrallongitudinal section. Figs. 3 to 7, inclusive, are enlarged centralsectional views, similar to Fig. 2, of modified forms, respectively, ofthe expansible cap-attaching part. Figs. 8 and 9 are enlarged Views, ofa diagrammatic character, showing the expansiblecap-attaching part incentral longitudinal sections and illustrating the manner in which theadjustable means serves to expand such part, as will be hereinafterexplained.

Referring to the drawings, in which like numbers of reference designatelike parts throughout, 2 is an ordinary tubular holder for the ink andwhich is closed at the rear end and open at its forward end, which isprovided with a nozzle 3, in which the usual writing-pen and its feeder15 are mounted. The forward end or nozzle of .the holder is formed witha cylindrical part 4, designed to receive and snugly fit the-open end ofthe cylindrical tubular protecting-cap 5 to cover and house thewriting-pen and feeder when the pen is not in use. These described partsare well known in this art, and it is the general practice to formtherear end of the holder with a solid cylindrical projection of the samecircumference as the cap-attaching .part 4 at the forward end of theholder, which rear part is adapted to be inserted in the open end of thecap when the pen is in use for the purpose of resting or keeping the capin a convenient place and avoid liability of mislaying it. WVhen such aAfountain-pen as this goes into use, the mouth of the cap 5 soon becomespermanently expanded and enlarged to such a degree that vwhile it ts theforward cap-retaining part 4 sufficiently tight to keep it on it its therear end of the holder so loosely that it will not remainthereon.` Ihave vby experiment found that this permanent enlargement'of the mouthof the cap is caused by the enlargement or expansion of thecap-retaining part 4t at the forward end, which change in size is due tothe following facts: The nozzle Sis fitted in the open end of the holder2 bymeans ofa screw-threaded joint, the two parts,which are made usuallyof hard,rubber,coming together on the line 1G, as indicated in Fig. 1.In using the fountainpen the heat of the hand and body causes the mouthof thebarrel at its e'nd 4to expand, which action often lets the inkleak at this IOO joint, and the user to sto p such leakage screws thenozzle farther into the. barrel to. tighten the joint, and this resultsin holding the part 4 in its expanded condition, the inserted part ofthe nozzle also enlarging under the infiuence of heat from the person.When this part 4 has thus become enlarged, the mouth of the cap 5 thenbecomes stretched and permanently enlarged by reason of its being forcedover the enlarged part 4 and the eect of the heat thereon at the sametime. Under this condition the mouth of the cap is too large to properlyfit the cap-retaining part at the rear end of the holder, and thefountain-pen is defective to that extent. This defect cannot, of course,be cured by shrinking the mouth of the cap or making it smaller, for itwould then be too small to fit the part 4 at the front end of theholder. After many tests and experiments I have found that this defectcan be remedied by providing the rear cap-retaining part of the holderwith means for varying or changing its size, so that it may be readilyenlarged or expanded to accommodate the enlarged mouth of the cap. Ishow several'ways of accomplishing this.

In Figs.y 1 and 2 the rear end 6 ofthe holder 2 is bored out or formedwith an axial recess provided With an internal screw-thread 8 and with aslit 1l, formed in the side thereof and extending from the edge of thesocket inwardly substantially the length thereof. Into this socket orrecess 7 is fitted a tapering plug or Wedge 10, having an externalscrew-thread 9, fitting that of the socket and provided with a milledhead, by which it may be readily.A

turned with the lingers to screw the plug in or out of the socket'to-adj ust it axially therein. In this form when the screw-plug lO'isscrewed in slightly it causes the slit l1 to spring open slightly, andthe part 6 is thereby enlarged.

In the form shown in Fig. 3 the socket 7is cylindrical instead ofconical and is provided with an internal screw-thread 8, but the slit isomittedin the side of the socket.

In Figs. 4fand 5 I show forms in which there is a conical socket 7 and acylindrical socket, respectively, in each of which the screwthread andslit are omitted,and a smooth-sided plug 10 of a corresponding shape tothe socket is inserted therein, as shown in dotted lines.

In Fig. 6 the cap-retaining part 6 is solid, with a slot or out 14formed in one side'and opening upon the outer end thereof, where thereis inserted an adjustable Wedge-piece 18 (shown in dotted lines) forforcing open the cut to expand and enlarge the part 6 in a manner thatis evident. Y

In Fig. 7 the slot or cut 14 extends diametrically through thecylindrical part 6, and the Wedge 18 (shown in dotted lines) is setinthe end thereof for forcingthe slot open and enlarging the part 6.

In Figs. 8 and 9 I show in a somewhat diagrammatic Way the manner inwhich the part jcap. or socket '7, shown as inwardly tapering and thisaction expandsthe wall of the socket,

and thus the circumference of part 6 is enlarged in a correspondingmanner.

In all the forms shown herewith the part 6 and its expanding means areso proportioned in size and relative adjustment that when thefountain-pen is inished ready for the market the cap-attachin g part 6has the sa me circumference as part 4 when the expanding plug or vWedgeis not pushed all the Way home in order that it may be further adjustedinu wardly when it becomes necessary to enlarge its part 6, and for suchreason the range of adjustment of the plug` should `always be amplysufficient to compensate for any likely enlargement of the mouth of theprotecting- I wish to be understood as not limiting my invention to theprecise forms of construction herein set forth, as various modificationsmay be made inthe different parts thereof Without, however, departingfrom the spirit of my invention. l

Having thus described my invention,what

' I claim is- 1. A fountain-penholder having theforward end or nozzleand the rear end thereof each ,provided with a suitable cap-attachingpart for receiving and sustaining the protecting-cap thereon and beingsubstantially of the same cross-sectional area as each other and as theinterior of the cap, a protecting-cap fitting said attaching parts andadapted to be placed over the one to protect the writing-pen and overthe other when the fountain-pen is in use, the said cap-attaching partat the rear end of the holder being expansible and provided Withadjustable means for varying its size to compensatefor the expansion ofsaid forward cap-attaching part and said cap that results from usage,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A fountain-penholder having the forward end or nozzle and the rearend'thereof each provided with a suitable cap-attaching part forreceiving and sustaining the protecting-cap thereon and beingsubstantially of the same cross-sectional areay as each other and as theinterior of the cap, a protecting-cap fitting said attaching parts andadapted to be placed over the one to protect the Writing-pen and overthe other when the fountain-pen is in use, the said cap-attaching partat the rear end of the holder being provided with a re cess or socket,and av plug or wedge adapted to be'inserted and adjusted in said recessor IOO socket to vary the size of said cap-retaining end, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

3. A fountain -penholder having the forward end or nozzle and the rearend thereof each provided with a suitable cap-attaching part forreceiving and sustaining the protecting-cap thereon and beingsubstantial-ly of the same cross-sectional area as each other and as theinterior of the cap, a protecting-cap fitting said attaching parts andadapted to be placed over the one to protect the Writing-pen and overthe other When the fountain-pen is in use, the said-capattaching part atthe rear end of the holder being provided With a recess o1` socketformed with an internal screwthread, and a plug having an externalscrewthread adapted to take in the recess or socket and being adjustableon such screw-thread to vary the size of the cap-retaining end,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. A fountain penholder having the for- Ward end or nozzle and the rearend thereof each provided with a suitable cap-attaching` part forreceiving and sustaining the protecting-cap thereon and beingsubstantially of the same cross-sectional area as each other and as theinterior of the cap, a protecting-cap fitting said attaching parts andadapted to be placed over the one to protect the writing-pen and overthe other when the fountain-pen is in use, the said cap-attaching partat the rear end of the holder beingvprovided with an inwardly-taperingrecess or socket in its outer end, and a plug having a correspondingtaper adapted to enter said recess or socket and adjustable therein tovary the size of said cap-attaching end, substantially as andy for thepurpose set forth.

5. A fountain-penholder having the forward end or nozzle and the rearend thereof each' provided with a suitable cap-attaching part forreceiving and sustaining the protectin g-cap thereon and beingsubstantially of the same cross-sectional area as each other and as theinterior of the cap, a protecting-cap fitting said attaching parts andadapted to be placed over the one to protect the Writing-pen and overthe other when the fountain-pen is in use, the said cap-attaching partat the rear end of the holder being provided with a recess or sockethaving a slit in the side thereof, and a plug or Wedge adapted to beinserted and adjusted in said recess or socket to vary the size of saidcap-retaining end, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set .my handvin the presence ofthetwo subscribing Witnesses.

GEORGE W. MABIE.

- Witnesses:

E. BAYLER, WILLIS FOWLER.

